By Gini Dietrich
A couple of months ago, Deirdre Breakenridge emailed me an introduction to Melissa Agnes.
I am so happy she did!
Because Melissa and I hit it off during a podcast we recorded together, I invited her to host a crisis communications webinar for us last month (and it was awesome).
I like her so much—she’s smart and funny and polite (she is Canadian after all)—I wanted to introduce you to her through the Spin Sucks Inquisition.
So here she is…Melissa Agnes on the Inquisition hot seat.
What is the Biggest Mistake You’ve Made in Your Career?
Not trusting my gut. Sometimes when you’re starting out, you hesitate or second guess yourself for different reasons.
I’ve learned to always trust my instincts.
They seem to always lead me in the right direction.
What is One Thing about Yourself that Would Surprise Most People?
This is a difficult question to answer about yourself, so I asked some friends who know me well.
I got a bunch of answers back, but I’m going to go with this one: I never wear matching socks. (But the truth is that they always match, they just aren’t the same!)
If You Could Achieve Everything You Ever Wanted in Life, but Had to Die 10 Years Sooner, Would You Make that Trade?
Hmmm… I don’t know.
Goals tend to grow and change over time, so what I want to achieve today may be different in five years, or will definitely have evolved, so this means that if I were to say yes, perhaps I wouldn’t die satisfied… or could it mean that I would get to live forever?
I’d need answers to these questions before I made the trade.
What Industry Advice or Practice Would You Most Like to Cry Foul On?
The term “social media crisis.”
There’s no such thing!
A crisis is a crisis, and no matter where a crisis originates it will take place on social, just as it will take place in the search engines and on traditional media.
What is the Best Book You’ve Read in the Past Six Months?
There are so many, but if I had to choose one I’d have to say “The One Thing” by Keller Papasan.
Why Does Spin Suck?
Because it’s not truth and doesn’t help you work towards building real and trusting relationships.
As a crisis professional, I look at these things as major risks when managing a crisis.
They do you no good.
Especially today.
Where You Can Find Melissa Agnes
You can find Melissa on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, YouTube, and on her podcast—The Crisis Intelligence.
You can also find her blogging at Agnes Day or speaking on crisis communications.